Nonslipping attachment for shoes



Aug. 16, 1932. H. D. DRISCOLL NONSLIPPING ATTACHMENT FOR SHOES Filed 001;. 14, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet Aug. 16, 1932. DRISCQLL 1,871,964

NONSLIPPING ATTACHMENT FOR SHOES Filed 001;; 14, 1930 I 2. Sheets-Sheet 2' Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT orriea HUGH D.-. DRISCOLL, 0F TULSA, OKLAHOMA Nonsmrrme. ATTACHMENT FOB" snons Application filed October 14,1930. Serial No. 488,615.

'it is to be understood that the device may also be worn to prevent a person slipping upon ice or applied to shoes worn by lumbermen or others doing workof such nature that they are liable to slip and fall.

Persons playing golf usually wear shoes havin cleats applied to the soles in order to prevent slipping when driving a ball. This has been found unsatisfactory as often the cleats do not properly bite into the ground and in addition cleated shoes are not always found necessary. Therefore, one object of the invention is to provide a set of cleats which may be applied to shoes and serve very effectively to prevent slipping when. the condition of the ground is such that cleats are needed.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the cleats that they may be firmly but releasably applied tothe shoes thereby permitting them to beremoved when not needed and also permitting them to be easily transferred from one pair of shoes toanother. Therefore, an ordinary pair of shoes may be used for golfing purposes which are less expensive than those specially constructed for this use and having cleats permanently applied to their soles and heels. This also permits shoes used for golfing to have new soles and heels applied thereto as easily as an ordinary pair of shoes when they need repairing.

Another ob ect of the invention is to provide improved cleats of such construction thereby permitting them to be cheaply produced and at the same time they are-very strong and durable.

Another object of the invention isto not only permit the cleats .to accomodate themselves to the size of a shoe sole and heel to which they are applied but also cause them to be firmly held in place and prevented fromv slipping out of their proper positions.

The invention is illustrated in. the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view showing antislipping devices of'the improved construction applied toa shoe sole indicated by dotted lines,

Fig, 2 is a fragmentary view showing the manner in which the anti-slipping devices are engaged with the shoe,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. l,

Fig. 4 is a: sectional view taken on the line 4+4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating amodified form of anti-slipping device, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66v of Fig. 5.. v

The anti-slipping devices shown in Figure 1 and indicated in general by the numerals 1 and 2 are applied respectively to the sole and heel of a shoe. These devices are quitesimihr in construction and each is to be appliedto the shoe and firmly clamped thereto. The anti-slipping device 1 consists of companion sections 3 and 4 which are'formed of flexible sheet metal and each hasenlarged front and rear end portions 5 and 6 connected by a reduced neck 7. These necks are disposed in; crossed relation to each other and formed with openings to receive a rivet or equivalent fastener 8 serving to pivotally mount the two sections and permitting them to have swinging movement relative to each other. Tn view of the fact that the necks are reduced in width, the pivotally connected intermediate portions of the two sections will be quite. flexible thereby permitting the anti-slipping device to have flexing movements when the shoe sole is flexed during walking or when driving a golf ball. Tongues project from the outer side edges of the end portions 5 and 6 and are bent to form hooks 9 which enter recesses 10 formed in the sole 11 of the shoe and engage plates 12 which are secured to the sole in crossed relation to the recesses or pockets 10 and may be counter-sunk in the sole if so desired. The rear end of the section 3 is ofiset, as shown, to form a seat and pivoted in said seat is one end of a. link 13, the other end of which is pivoted to one end of a lever 14. This lever 14 has its other end fitting in a corresponding offset or seat on the rear end of the section 4 and is formed with a suitable number of openings 15 spaced from each other longitudinally of the lever. By this arrangement a pin 16 projecting from the rear end portion of the section 4 at the offset or seat may be engaged through a selected opening 15 of the lever and when the lever is swung towards the rear end of the section 3 the eX- tent to which the ends of the sections are moved toward each other controlled. Therefore, the device may accommodate itself to the size of shoe to which it is to be applied and its hooks may have firm gripping engagement with the plates 12. An arm 17 against which a thumb is to be applied when forcing the lever towards the rear end of the section 3 projects from one side edge of this lever when its end to which the link 13 is piv oted and in the rear end of the section 3 is formed a recess 18 to receive this arm. It will be noted that both the link 13 and lever 14 are flat and disposed in a horizontal plane so that,

when the lever is swung to operative position,

said link and lever will lie flat within the seats and thus not ofier any surface obstruction. Tongues 19 project from the inner edges of end portions of the section 4 .to engage between the section 3 and the sole of the shoe and thereby permit the end portions of the two sections to be easily moved towards each other when the anti-slipping device is being applied to a shoe.

In order to provide the anti-slipping device with cleats adapted to bite into the ground, the enlarged end portions of the sections 3 and 4 are cut to form tongues which are'bent outwardly and have their end portions then bent towards each other. Therefore, each cleat 20 is of a triangular formation and is of sufficient length to obtain a firm grip upon the ground. It should also be noted that since the upper ends of the cleats bear against the under faces of the end portions of the two sections they will be firmly braced and will not be liable to bend and break. The ends of the cleats bearing against the plates may be brazed or otherwise firmly secured thereto if so desired.

The anti-slipping device for the heel is similar in construction to the one applied to the sole of the shoe and consists of sections 21 and 22 formed of flexible sheet metal and pivotally connected in crossed relation to each other by a pin 23 formed through openings in the intermediate portions of the sections. Hooks 24, corresponding to the hooks 9, project from outer side edges of end portions of these sections to engage plates 25 secured to the heel 26 of the shoe in bridging relation to recesses 27, corresponding to the recesses 10, and there has also been provided a clamp 28, corresponding to the clamp 14, and adapted to move end portions of the sections toward each other for tight gripping engagement with the plates. The cleats 29 are of the same construction as the cleats 20. It will thus be seen that this anti-slipping device is practically the same in construction as the anti-slipping device 1, the only difference being in the dimensions of the pivotally connected sections and the width of the intermediate portions through which the pivot fastener passes. This anti-slipping device does not need to be as flexible as the device applied to the sole of the shoe as the heel does not bend when walking or striking a golf ball and, in fact, the device applied to the heel may be formed of stiff metal instead of flexible metal if so desired.

3 In Figures 5 and 6, there has beenillustrated a modified form of the invention. In this embodiment the devices to be applied to the sole and heel and indicated in general by the numerals 30 and 31 each consists of companion sections 32 and 33 but the sections forming the device 30 are of greater length than the sections forming the heel device 31. These sections are of substantially an even width throughout their length and, therefore, the metal from which the sections of the sole device are formed should have more flexibility than the metal from which the sections of the sole device 1 are formed. Tongues project from the two sections adjacent opposite ends thereof and are bent to form hooks or jaws 34 but as the shoe is not equipped with plates for engagement by these hooks they must be of sufficient size to engage the sole and heel when end portions of the two sections are moved toward each other to a gripping position. The pin 35 which pivotally connects crossed intermediate portions of the two sections is extended to form a lug adapted to bite into the ground and the sec tions of the device 31 carry additional pins which serve the purpose of the cleats provided upon the two sections of the device 2 of Figure 1. One of these pins 36 also takes the place of the pin 16 and is adapted to engage through a selected opening 37 formed in a lever 38, corresponding to the lever of the clamp 28. This lever has its other end pivoted to a link 39 which has its other end pivoted to the forward end of the section 32 and at its forward end the sect-ion 32 of the heel device is formed with a recess 40 to receive the arm 41 against which a thumb is to be placed when applying pressure in order to firmly clamp the device to the heel of the shoe. The clamp 42 for the sole device is similar in construction to the clamp of the heel device but the rear end of the section 33 of this sole. device carries a pin 43, corresponding to the pin 16, as this device has not been shown provided with pins or lugs 36.

t will be understood, however, that pins, corresponding to the pins 36, may be provided upon the sections of the sole device if so desired. One of the sections of the sole device has been shown formed with a cleat 4A, corresponding to the cleats 20, and formed in a similar manner, except that end portions of the tongue from which the cleat is formed extend parallel to each other instead of converging to form a triangular cleat. Other cleats 45 which are of the same general shape as the cleat 4a are carried by the sections 32 and 33 but are of greater length and these cleats are formed by tongues which project from the side edges of the two sections and after having their end portions severed from the sections are bent downwardly and their severed ends then bent inwardly to bear against the under faces of these sections. It is to be understood that desirable features disclosed in Figures 1 and 5 may be combined it so desired. In either form of the invention, the hooks or jaws projecting from end portions of the sections have firm gripping engagement with the sole and heel of a shoe when the clamps are moved to swing the sections about their pivots and move their ends toward each other, and it should be noted that these jaws have such engagement with the sole and heel of the shoe that when the anti-slipping devices are applied thereto they will firmly grip the shoe and be prevented from slipping out of proper position thereon. This is particularly true of the form shown in Figure 1 where the clamps are seated in recesses in order to engage the plates 12 and 25 and will be prevented from having movement longitudinally of the shoe by engagement with end walls of the recesses.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a shoe, an anti-slipping device adapted to fit beneath the shoe and consisting of sections movable relative to each other, the shoe sole being formed with recesses, plates secured to the under face of the shoe sole and constituting keepers bridging the recesses, jaws carried by said sections and extending within the recesses for engagement with the keepers, and means to move the sections into position to dispose the jaws in firm gripping engagement with the keepers, engagement of the jaws with the walls of the recesses serving to prevent movement of the device upon the shoe when in position thereon.

2. In combination with a shoe, an anti-slipping device adapted to fit beneath the shoe and consisting of pivotally connected sections having a fixed center of movement, the

shoe sole being formed with recesses, keep-.

the jaws in firm gripping engagement with' the keepers, engagement of the jaws with the keepers serving to prevent movement of the device upon the shoe when in position thereon.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HUGH D. DRISCOLL. [n s.] 

